Judge’s Plea for Legal Drugs Pleases Some, Irks Others

Bravo to Judge James P. Gray for proposing legalizing the sale of marijuana, cocaine and heroin to adults.

The article reported that Judge Gray said: “Nearly 80% of the criminal cases in Superior Court were somehow related to drugs.” That means that legalizing drugs and offering them for sale at reasonable prices would eliminate about 80% of what police officers and deputy sheriffs do; eliminate 80% of the robberies, burglaries, murders and assaults; eliminate 80% of car thefts and 80% of gang activity; eliminate 80% of the jails; eliminate 80% of the fear of walking in the street at night; eliminate 80% of the need for security devices and burglar alarm systems; and eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars being spent by the federal government on drug interdiction by the DEA, Coast Guard and customs agents.

Legalizing drugs would eliminate a multibillion-dollar crime industry that produces nothing except terror and misery and holds all Americans hostage, especially those in urban areas. Of course, Sheriff Gates is opposed to drug legalization. He would not like losing 80% of his department because they would no longer have anything to do. He has a strong, vested interest in maintaining the current system.

Legalizing drugs would likely reduce their use since the drug pushers would no longer find it profitable to foist them on the gullible.

Prohibition led to the organized crime mobs. The drug laws have made Prohibition look like the barrel cactus theft problem in Arizona.

HARVEY H. LISS

Irvine